Game of Thrones Archives : TRAVEL/FOOD

The Unofficial Disney Parks Cookbook: From Delicious Dole Whip to taste Mickey Pretzels, 100 Magical Disney-Inspired Recipes

Adams Media, Family & Kids Cooking, Family Excursions, Game of Thrones, Home bakers, Home Town Fun

Love the food served at the Disney Parks? While we can’t take home the rides or just the feeling of being there, we can cook some of the dishes that make eating there so enjoyable. For that we have Ashley Craft, author of The Unofficial Disney Parks Cookbook: From Delicious Dole Whip to taste Mickey Pretzels, 100 Magical Disney-Inspired Recipes to thank.

From the book: “The Unofficial Disney Parks Cookbook offers one hundred easy recipes for the best of Disney’s magical cuisine. Whether you’ve been to the parks a hundred times and are craving your favorite Disney dishes, or you’re just looking for something Disney-inspired to make you feel like you’re on vacation, each recipe has been thoroughly tested to ensure a taste worthy of a certain mouse. The recipes are also organized based on the Disney Park where each one is featured, beginning with the first park to open, Disneyland, and ending with the newest park, Disney California Adventure.“

Craft grew up so close to Disney World that she fell asleep each night listening to the music coming from the park. She later worked there and about three years ago started her blog https://ashleycrafted.com/

Organized by parks, Craft’s recipes include dishes from Disneyland, Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Disney California Adventure. She opens each of her chapters with the park intro, the types of dishes you’ll find and a map so that you can actually located them.

A bestseller on both The Wall Street Journal Bestseller and USA TODAY Bestseller lists, the book is published by Adams Media ($14.99 Amazon price).

The following recipes are excerpted from The Unofficial Disney Parks Cookbook by Ashley Craft. Copyright © 2020 by Simon & Schuster, Inc. Used with permission of the publisher, Adams Media, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. All rights reserved.

Photography by Harper Point Photography.

Mickey Pretzels

Serves 4

1.5 cups warm water (110°F)

1 (1⁄4-ounce) envelope active dry yeast

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 teaspoon plus 2 tablespoons salt, divided

4 cups all-purpose flour

4 cups plus 1 tablespoon room-temperature water, divided

1⁄4 cup baking soda

1 large egg

4 teaspoons Kosher salt

‌In the bowl of a stand mixer, add warm water and sprinkle yeast on top. Let sit 10 minutes.

‌Add brown sugar and 1 teaspoon salt. Using the flat beater attachment, beat on low speed to combine. Mix in flour. Switch to dough hook attachment and knead 5 minutes. Dough should be smooth and elastic.

‌Remove dough and spray bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Return dough to bowl. Cover with a cloth and let rise in a warm place 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a large ungreased baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large pot over high heat, bring 4 cups water to a boil.

‌Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Cut dough into eight equal pieces. Working with one piece at a time, roll dough into a rough heart shape. Using a sharp knife, lightly score or scrape the Mickey shape into the dough. Once you’ve achieved your desired shape, cut all the way through the dough.

‌Add baking soda to pot of boiling water. Working with one Mickey at a time, use a big, flat spatula to carefully lift a dough Mickey into baking-soda bath, and poach 15 seconds. Remove to prepared baking sheet.

‌In a small bowl, mix together egg and remaining 1 tablespoon water. Brush onto Mickeys. Sprinkle remaining salt over pretzels.

‌Bake until deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Photography by Harper Point Photography.

Gaston’s Giant Cinnamon Rolls

Fantasyland, Magic Kingdom

Disney Parks have sold cinnamon rolls for a long time—regular, boring-sized cinnamon rolls. But in 2012, they upped their cinnamon roll game when they introduced the Warm Cinnamon Roll to their line-up. It is about 8″ square in size and is smothered in frosting and butterscotch topping. It is perfectly made for the man who eats five dozen eggs each day—or your whole family!

SERVES 8

For Dough

3⁄4 cup salted butter, melted, divided

1 1⁄2 cups whole milk

6 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour, divided

2 (1⁄4-ounce) packets active dry yeast

1⁄2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1⁄2 cup room-temperature water

2 large eggs

‌Grease a 9″×13″ pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.To make the Dough: In a medium bowl, combine 1⁄2 cup melted butter and milk.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add 2 1⁄2 cups flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Add water, eggs, and butter mixture. Using the flat beater attachment, mix until well combined. Add remaining flour 1⁄2 cup at a time while mixing until Dough starts to form a ball.

‌Switch to the dough hook attachment and knead Dough on low speed 5 minutes.

‌Remove Dough from bowl, sprinkle some flour in bowl, and place Dough back in the same bowl. Let rise 10 minutes in a warm place.

For Filling

2 cups light brown sugar

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

1 cup salted butter, softened

To make Filling: In a medium bowl, mix brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter together. Set aside.‌

Roll out Dough into a long rectangle, about 3′ × 2′. Spread Filling evenly across the whole surface of the Dough. Starting at short end, roll Dough like a jelly roll. Make a cut in the center of the roll, and then cut about 6″ from the center on either side to make 2 giant rolls.

Place both rolls swirl-edge down in prepared pan.

Drizzle remaining 1⁄4 cup melted butter over rolls. Allow rolls to rise at room temperature 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375˚F. Bake rolls 20 minutes, then cover loosely with foil and bake another 10 minutes.

For Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese

1⁄4 cup salted butter, softened

2 cups confectioners’sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons heavy cream

‌To make Cream Cheese Frosting: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add cream cheese and butter. Combine and heat until melted, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in confectioners’ sugar. Add vanilla, cream, and salt. Stir, then set aside.

For Butterscotch Topping

1⁄2 cup light brown sugar

4 tablespoons salted butter, softened

1⁄2 cup heavy cream

1⁄4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

To make Butterscotch Topping: In a separate medium saucepan over medium heat, add brown sugar, butter, and cream. Bring to a boil and boil 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Add salt and vanilla. Set aside.

‌To serve, place each giant roll on a large plate. Drizzle cream cheese frosting in one direction along each roll’s swirl, then drizzle with butterscotch in the other direction.

COOKING TIP

The dough leftover on either end of the giant rolls need not be wasted! Make cuts about 1–2 inches along the extra roll. Lay swirl-side down in a glass 9” x 13” baking dish greased with cooking spray and bake about 20 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.

Photography by Harper Point Photography.

Mangonada Smoothies

Hollywood Land, Disney California Adventure

This delicious and refreshing Mexican treat sure helps beat the heat on a California summer day. The mix of salty, spicy, and sweet is so satisfying. Actually, a recent study found that adding salt to a sweet treat helps release the sugar flavors and brings out even more of the sweetness!

SERVES 2

1⁄2 cup pineapple juice

1⁄2 cup guava juice

1 cup frozen mango chunks

1⁄2 cup frozen peach chunks

1 whole fresh banana, peeled

4 teaspoons chamoy sauce, divided

1⁄2 cup fresh chopped mango

1⁄2 teaspoon chili-lime seasoning

‌Combine pineapple juice, guava juice, frozen mango chunks, frozen peach chunks, and banana in a blender and blend until smooth.

‌Drizzle 1 teaspoon chamoy sauce each inside walls of 2 drinking glasses. Divide smoothie mixture into glasses, add 1⁄4 cup fresh mango to each cup, drizzle another 1 teaspoon chamoy sauce in each glass, and sprinkle 1⁄4 teaspoon chili-lime seasoning on each.

The Unofficial Disney Parks Cookbook is s one of nine in a series of unofficial cookbooks that includes The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook and The Unofficial Game of Thrones Cookbook, all published by Adams Media.

A Feast of Ice and Fire: The Official Game of Thrones Companion Cookbook

Bantam, Game of Thrones, George R.R. Martin, Random House, Uncategorized

I’ve come lately to be a fan of the Game of Thrones, having first read the historical novels by Maurice Druon upon which GOT author George R.R. Martin used as a basis for his Medieval fantasy novels which are now a long running TV series. The original books by Druon are based upon real life of the French monarchy in the 14th century. For those who think GOT is violent, yes, it is. But the actual history of The Accursed Kings series with their titles like The Strangled Queen (yes she was strangled because her royal husband wanted a new wife) and She-Devil, written between 1955 to 1977, are just as bloody only it really happened.

In between all the intrigues and the battles, it’s fascinating to read descriptions of the foods they ate both in series. But two GOT fans, Chelsea Monroe-Cassel and Sariann Lehrer, have taken it so much further. Diving deep into Medieval culinary history and recipes they have written A Feast of Ice and Fire: The Official Game of Thrones Companion Cookbook (Bantam $35) which has more than 100 recipes, divided by the kingdoms and regions found in the book. These include The South where Cream Swans (yes, they ate swans back then), Trout Wrapped in Bacon, Stewed Rabbit and Blueberry Tarts were on the menu. In King’s Landing characters dined on Quails Drowned in Butter and in Dorne dinner offerings included Duck with Lemons. The authors also detail from which book each of the recipes is taken—such as the shrimp and persimmon soups and peaches in honey featured in A Clash of Kings. If you go to their Website, innatthecrossroads.com, they also divide them by categories (breakfast, pies and savory tarts, etc.). There’s a recipe for Blandissory served in A Storm of Swords described by the authors as “a great example of how sweet and savory elements are often combined in a medieval dish. The chicken and broth, and to some extent even the wine are more commonly served as savory dishes, while cinnamon, ginger, and honey are more often associated with sweet dishes, like cookies and desserts.”

They then go on to add that “this dish is quirky, and while not especially appealing in appearance, it is actually quite tasty. The almond and rice flours thicken the broth to a consistency just shy of a medium gravy. The chicken is wonderfully soft and flavorful, a great textural counterpoint to the occasional crunch of the almonds.”

I got the chance to talk to Monroe-Cassel, who lives near Windsor, Vermont and is just finishing up The World of Warcraft Cookbook, based on the popular game and soon to be released movie.

“It was a whirlwind of a year,” she says, adding that they did extensive research into historic recipes and ingredients. “But one of the things that makes Martin’s books so compelling is that they’re based on actual events and are so detailed.”

Monroe-Cassel says that writing the cookbook was the closest she’s come to using her degree in the classics but it also meant overcoming such issues as the difference between the way recipes were written back then and now.

“I laugh because we found one recipe for goat which basically said take a goat, split it in half and roast it until it’s done,” she says.

Asked what are some of her favorite recipes from the book, Monroe-Cassel says she really likes the Custard Sauce in the Castle Black section which she describes as a pourable custard.

“The soups are pretty easy and Sister Stew is very popular,” she says. “But the ultimate favorite is the Honeyed Chicken.”

For those who don’t keep a pantry filled with ingredients common 800 or so years ago, there’s also a section called “Stocking Your Medieval Kitchen” which tells how to properly prepare your kitchen for recreating the recipes. Many of the ingredients and recipes are neither too difficult or expensive and the authors, who go into amazing detail, give modern substitutes for Medieval ingredients. Take aurochs for example. Use beef or bison instead as aurochs are an extinct type of cattle.

Two spices Monroe-Cassel says they really came to appreciate are long pepper which are about an inch long and have a much sharper taste than the black pepper most of us use with a faster taste giving it more of a kick. Another is grains of paradise, a type of pepper that Monroe-Cassel says at one time was worth its weight in gold.

“It’s smaller than a peppercorn and is spicier with a fruitier undertone,” she says noting that many of these old spices are gaining in popularity because artisan brewers are using them.

Where appropriate many of the recipes are two-fold write the authors–a modern recipe and a traditional recipe more in keeping with the quasi-medieval setting of the series.

Recipe for 17th C. Pumpkin Pie

Makes 1 9-inch pie

The original recipe: Tourte of pumpkin – Boile it with good milk, pass it through a straining pan very thick, and mix it with sugar, butter, a little salt and if you will, a few stamped almonds; let all be very thin. Put it in your sheet of paste; bake it. After it is baked, besprinkle it with sugar and serve. -Le Vrai Cuisinier Francois, 1653.

The authors’ modern version.

Crust Ingredients:

2 cups flour

pinch of salt

1 egg yolk

1 stick butter

ice cold water, just enough

Filling Ingredients:

1 cup warm milk

2-3 tablespoons melted butter

1/2 cup turbinado sugar, plus extra for sprinkling over the top

2 cups pumpkin (1 pound)

pinch salt

2 tablespoons ground almonds

Prep the crust by rubbing the butter into the flour. Add the salt, egg yolk, and just enough water to bring the dough together. Roll out on a floured surface to 1/4″ thickness. Line a pie pan with it, and crimp the edges into a decorative design.

Combine the warm milk and melted butter. Pour over the sugar and stir until there are no grains of sugar remaining. Stir in the remaining ingredients, mixing the filling thoroughly. Pour this into the prepared (but not prebaked) pie shell.

Bake at 350F for about 35 minutes, or until the filling seems set. Allow to cool before slicing.

Honeyed Chicken

Based on Apicius’ Ancient Roman recipe

1 whole chicken for roasting

1 tablespoon olive oil/butter

Salt

Sauce:

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/3 cup honey

Dash of mint, dried or fresh (abt. 1 tsp.)

Small handful of raisins

1 tablespoons butter

Rub the chicken down with olive oil/butter and salt. This makes the skin crispy and delicious. Cook in an oven at 450 degrees F for approximately an hour, or until the juices run clear, and the thick meat of the breast is no longer pink.

While your chicken is roasting away in the oven, combine all ingredients in saucepan and allow to simmer until the raisins plump and the sauce reduces slightly. Remove from heat, and when the chicken is done, spread the sauce and raisins over the bird.

Root Soup Recipe

1 parsnip

3 carrots

Sprig of thyme

8 cups

1 chopped burdock root (about 2 cups)

1 cup chopped celeriac root

1 inch diced horseradish root

Pearl onions

2 cloves garlic

1/4 pound salt pork, cut into small flakes

1/2 cup grains, such as barley or bulgur